The Well Hidden Wisdom of Children

Our family favorite ice cream stop is the Pied Piper Creamery. Tucked away in Berry Hill, one of Nashville’s quirky business districts, the PPC expanded on the original version that has blessed East Nashville for years. With flavors like Baklava, Pancakes, Halepeño, Little Debbie Does Dallas or Red Velvet Elvis, we always taste 4 or 5 before deciding what to order.

Last week was Fall break for the kids, so we made a afternoon run to the PPC for probably our last ice cream outing of 2011 (I got 2 scoops, Baklava and Mocha). On our way home the sun hovered bright and low over south Nashville’s hilly spine, and from the back of the minivan my 10 year old daughter said,

“Hmmmm, what a beautiful sunset on a cloudless sky,”

to which my 8 year old son proclaimed with gusto,

“The perfect time to watch a horror movie!”

I’m laughing even as I type it now – it was so incomprehensible. Amy and I exchanged puzzled glances and our daughter replied,

“What’s that about?”

We were all wondering.

This is part of the magic of children. Though they see differently, they see clearly. In fact, you could argue they are sharper and more aware than we old-timers, at 5 or 6 or 7 times their age. Where our minds are cluttered with habits, fears, plans and presumptions, they are blessedly unencumbered by life experience. That’s why finding your “inner child” is not a quaint notion to simply disregard. It sounds hokey, but I re-learn how to live when I listen to my kids. They have things I lack. They are more honest, more transparent, more spontaneous, and more needy than I allow myself to be.

So, what was Jonah talking about? Why was that the perfect time to watch a horror movie? Here’s what he said.

“Because it is so beautiful outside that you wouldn’t be scared.”

When he’s 16, do you think he’ll still acknowledge his fears with such careless ease? What about when he’s my age, or yours?

When you spend time with children, whether they are yours or not, look for ways that you aren’t like them. They are our model for the charge Jesus gave his disciples in Matthew 18, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.”

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Comments

I love this. I’m learning from my 22 month old to be more aware of things around me. As soon as we head out the door, she’s listing off all the things she hears, and I haven’t even noticed the sounds yet – and wouldn’t have if she hadn’t called my attention to the dog barking next door, or the train going by 2 miles north. I take her for walks and find myself looking around me more just for things to point out to her.